Annealing apparatus.



ANNEALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21, 1901.

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' N0 MODEL.

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' ATTORNEY.

TO-LITHQY, wnsmmrcu o c No. 722,073. PATENTED-MAR. 3

J. A. ANDERSON & C. 'M. HOLLINGSWORTH.

AN NEALIN G APPARATUS. APPLICATION-FILED JAN. 21, mp1.

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WITNESSL:

1N VEN T OR-S Unrrnp STATES PATENT JAMES A. ANDERSON AND CLARENCE M.HOLLINGSVVORTI-I, OF OTTAWA,

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO JOHN R. JOHNSTON, OF HART" FORDCITY, INDIANA.

ANNEALING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 722,073, dated March 3,1903.

Application filed January 21,1901. Serial No. 44,129. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES A. ANDERSON and CLARENCE 1N1. HOLLINGSWORTH,of Ottawa, county of Lasalle, and State of Illinois, have invented acertain new and useful Annealing Apparatus; and we do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like numeralsrefer to like parts.

One feature of this invention consists in a series of ovens orheating-chambers with independently-controllable means for heating sameto a gradually-decreasing temperature and a conveyer movable through theseries of ovens. The object of the foregoing invention is to permit eachof the individual chambers or ovens constituting the furnace to bemaintained independently at a uniform temperature, thus avoiding thenecessity of repeated firing and cooling of the individual ovens orchambers. By maintaining the series of ovens at a gradually-decreasingtemperature and maintaining a uniform temperature in each oven in theseries uniform annealing action is attained on the articles that passthrough the annealing-furnace. Such arrangement also greatly economizesthe heat or fuel necessary to treat a given lot of material, as theovens or chambers are built together in series. Such arrangement alsobetter distributes the work of the men engaged in annealing.

Another feature of our invention consists in an annealing-furnacearranged in the arc of a circle and an endless or annular conveyermovable therethrough.

The object of this invention is to render the whole apparatus operativeat one point, the material annealed issuing from the furnace near thepoint where it entered. At such point, between the entrance and exit ofthe furnace, the workmen operate, placing on and removing the material,and likewise at such point the conveyer is actuated. Such annulararrangement also permits more rapid and convenient operation, becausethe portion of the conveyer when the annealed material is removedtherefrom is in very close proximity to the charging-point and does nothave to be returned from a considerable distance or drawn out of theovens into which it is immediately to be introduced.

These and the other features of our invention will more fully appearfrom the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan of an annealing-furnace with aconveyer and means for mounting the same, part being broken away. Fig. 2is a central vertical longitudinal section of a portion of what is shownin Fig. l and on the line A A of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a verticalcross-section on the line B B of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a verticalcross-section longitudinally through one of the air-boxes forming a partof the partition which separates the ovens. Fig. 5 is a verticalcross-section of the furnace centrally through one of the ovens.

In detail a furnace 1 is built in the arc of a circle with itsendsalmost meeting and having the base or bottom 2, that extends alsobetween the two ends of the furnace, thus making a continuous annularbase on the samelevel. Atiutervals on said base throughout the entirecircle stationary supports 3 are secured for the bearing-rollers 4.There is an inner and outer series or circle of these rollers andsupports, which make a double track upon which the conveyer 6 moves. Theconveyor is carried on a pair of longitudinally-extending angle-bars 5,placed on edge, forming a double track resting upon the rollers 4 andthe upper edge supporting and secured to the under side of the conveyer6, which is a continuous plate. The angle-bars 5 are secured more firmlyby the brace-bars 7. This makes an annular conveyer. It is actuated fromany suitable source of power applied to the pulley 8 on the shaft 9,mounted in the bearing-post l0 and carrying on its inner end a pinion11, meshing with an annular rack 12 on the under side of the conveyer 6.At suitable intervals on said conveyer there are boxes 13, secured tocontain the material to be annealed.

The furnace is divided into a number of individual heating-chambers orovens by the permanent mantels or partitions 14:. The

. preferable form of the dome of the oven is curved in longitudinalsection, and at the lower end of the mantels or partitions 14 airboxes15 are secured sufficiently above the conveyer to permit the passageunder it of the material to be annealed. Said boxes are shown squarewith the cross-section, and they extend crosswise through the furnaceand are open at their ends to the outer air. They therefore form a partof the partition that separates the ovens from each other. An openingthus connects the ovens and through it the conveyer moves.

Individual means are provided for heating each oven, consisting of thenatural-gas burners 17, entering the top of the oven centrally andleading from the supply-pipe 1S and controlled by the valve 19. Thus thetemperature of each oven can be independently controlled, the purpose ofsuch construction being to enable the maintenance of agradually-decreasing temperature in the series of ovens, the ovens tothe left, as shown in Fig. 2, being maintained at the highesttemperature and the temperature in the ovens gradually diminishing for aportion of the way around the entire furnace. The last chamber of thefurnace is of extended length and is without direct heating means, sothat while passing through it the material will be completely cooled.

While we herein show means for heating the ovens with natural gas, we donot wish to limit ourselves to such fuel, as any fuel may be employedprovided an independent heating means be furnished for each oven andchamber and independently controlled. The heat from the natural gasenters the top of the oven and is directed from the top down upon thematerial to be annealed, so that the material gets the full benefit ofthe heat. The conveyer 6 is preferably as wide as the chamber in thefurnace through which it passes, so that comparatively no heat passesbelow the top of the conveyer. This arrangement confines the heat in theovens to the chamber above the con'veyer, while the cham ber below theconveyer is comparatively cool.

With natural gas no chimney is needed for the furnace. ary means shouldbe provided for removing smoke and gases.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. An annealing apparatus including a series of ovens, means forintroducing gas centrally through the top of the ovens, and a conveyermovable through said ovens whose width is substantially the same as thewidth of the ovens, whereby the heat is confined to the space above theconveyer and directed equably upon the conveyer.

2. An annealing apparatus including a furnace divided into a series ofovens or chambers by transverse depending mantels or partitions, atransverse air-box at the lower end of each mantel or partition, amovable conveyer immediately beneath said air-box, and means for heatingthe ovens above the conveyer.

3. An annealing apparatus including an annular base, an endless conveyermounted on said base, means for driving said conveyer, a furnace-topbuilt over said base and conveyer that extends only partially aroundsaid base to form the furnace, mantels or partitions extending from thetop of the furnace almost to the conveyer to form a series of ovensabove the conveyer, and means for heating said ovens.

In witness whereof we have hereunto affixed our signatures in thepresence of the witnesses herein named.

JAMES A. ANDERSON. CLARENCE M. HOLLINGSWORTH.

Witnesses as to Anderson:

LAURA HITT, V. H. LooKWooD.

Witnesses as to Hollingsworth:

GEORGE J. GLEIM, J. H. IMME.

If other fuel be used, custom- I

